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Field Operations Service had its source in 1948 with the creation of the United Nations Guard. Over the years, it expanded its functions. Since 1982, the new Office of Field Operational and External Support Activities is responsible for the administrative and logistic support of special missions, peace-keeping operations, relief operation missions and such other field missions as the Secretary-General may decide and, in co-operation with the Department of Public Information, for providing briefing on current developments, especially in the political field, to Information Centres (see ST/SGB/185, 20 January 1982).

On 28 September 1948, the Secretary-General proposed the creation of a United Nations Guard consisting of 800 men, of this, 300 were recruited for duty in 1948 (Document A/656).
It was found essential for a mission to have international protective personnel available 80 "that they could proceed with the necessary confidence and authority to arrange for the free movement of Observers and other personnel in troubled areas" (UN Yearbook 1948-49, Page 419) without using local police or national military.

In 1949, it was decided to install two new units -a United Nations Field Service and a Field Reserve Panel (later renamed to a Panel of Field Observers). The Field service would consist of 300 men. They would be part of the Secretariat. Their main functions would be provision of land and air transport for missions, the maintenance of radio communications with UN mission personnel, premises, supplies, records and archives, maintenance of order during meetings, operations and maintenance of transport equipment and performance of guard duties at Headquarters. On 22 November 1949, the General Assembly passed the resolution that the United Nations Field Service may be established, administratively, it would belong to the Department of Conference and General Services. At this time, Field Service personnel were appointed to operate the radio links in Palestine, Greece and India, and also constituted the Security Force at Government House in Jerusalem.

In 1950, United Nations Field Service, later renamed United Nations Field Operations Service (FOS), became part of the Department of Administrative and Finance services.

In 1952, when it was found impracticable to combine Headquarters security Guards with the Field Service, Field Service and Headquarters force were continued separately (A/CN.l/Rl02). At this time, Field Operations Staff counted between 103 and 119.

In 1954, FOS was transferred out of the Administrative and Finance Services and became part of the Office of General Services (ST/AFS/SGB/97).
On 15 January 1982, the Office for Field Operational and External Support Activities was established as one of the Offices of the Secretary-General (ST/SGB/185). However, on 15 April 1987, OFOESA became Field Operations Division within the Office of General services. The following listing shows the changes of the Organization within the various Field Service bodies, the service Chiefs, (this information was taken from the Telephone Directory in 1948-1986), and the Symbol within the Archival Group.

Functions included political responsibilities as assigned, all General Assembly matters including provision of secretariat, direction to the Division of Human Rights, direction to Sahelian Office, coordination of relations with non-governmental organizations, and acting as the HQ liaison with the Office of the United Nations Disaster Relief coordinator (ST/SGB/ Organization, Section F, July 1975). Until the 1960s General Assembly functions were carried out by the General Assembly Section of the Executive Office of the Secretary-General. In 1976, the United Nations Sahelian Office was transferred from the Office of the Under-Secretary-General for Political and General Assembly Affairs to the United Nations Development Programme. The Office worked with the Secretary-General in coordination of the International Conference on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. In 1991, there was a major restructuring in the Secretariat. One of the major aspects was the creation of the Department of Political Affairs, which incorporated the functions of the Department for Political and General Assembly Affairs and Secretariat Services. The Under-Secretary-General from 1972-1975 was F. Bradford Morse, followed by William B. Buffum (1976-1986), Joseph Verner Reed (1987-1988), and Ronald I. Spiers (1989-1991).

International Civilian Mission in Haiti, OAS/UN (MICIVIH)
The International Civilian Mission in Haiti, OAS/UN (MICIVIH) was established in February 1993 by the Organization of American States (OAS) and the United Nations at the request of Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who had been deposed on 29 September 1991 in a coup led by Lieutenant General of the Haitian Armed Forces (FADH) Raoul Cédras. MICIVIH was the United Nations’ first joint mission with a regional organization. It was integrated operationally as well as administratively. MICIVIH was known in French as Mission Civile International en Haiti, OEA/ONU, and in Creole, as Misyon Sivil Entènasyonal an Ayti, OEA/ONU.

MICIVIH was mandated to: ensure respect for the human rights inscribed in the Haitian Constitution and in the international instruments which Haiti was party to, in particular the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the American Convention on Human Rights; and contribute to the strengthening of judicial, police, and prison institutions important for the promotion and protection of human rights. MICIVIH focused special attention on the right to life, the integrity and security of the person, and the freedoms of expression, association, and assembly.

To fulfil its mandate, MICIVIH was authorized to receive communications about alleged human rights violations; to enjoy complete freedom of movement within Haitian territory; to interview anyone freely and privately; to verify case follow-up in Haitian institutions and make recommendations to Haitian authorities; to undertake public information and human rights education campaigns.

In mid-October 1993, for security reasons, the MICIVIH staff evacuated to the Dominican Republic. A small contingent returned to Haiti in January 1994. In July 1994, Haiti’s de facto regime and military leadership expelled the mission from the country.

The de facto regime resigned from power on 14 October 1994 from pressure exerted by the Multinational Force (MNF), which had been authorized by Security Council Resolution 940 (1994) and had begun deployment in Haiti on 19 September 1994 in Operation Uphold Democracy. Jean-Bertrand Aristide returned from exile and resumed the office of the presidency on 15 October 1994.

MICIVIH was re-established in full force in Haiti on 26 October 1994 and expanded. Added responsibilities included democratic institution-building, civic education, assisting with the repatriation and resettlement of displaced persons, and providing medical assistance to victims of human rights abuses.

The Executive Director served as Head of Mission and reported to the Secretary-General of the Organization of American States (OAS) and to the United Nations Secretary-General. Colin Terrence Granderson was the Executive Director for the entire duration of the mission.

MICIVIH's headquarters were located in Port-au-Prince.

At the start of the mission in 1993, MICIVIH was comprised of a Human Rights Division, under which functioned: the Investigation and Research Unit, the Human Rights Education Unit, the Judicial Unit, the Medical Unit, and the Operations Unit. In late 1995, the Human Rights Division was dissolved and the mission was restructured into two sections, the Section des Affaires Juridiques et du Renforcement Institutionnel (SAJRI) and the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights Section (PPHR).

MICIVIH set up regional offices in the following nine departments:

Base 1 : Port-au-Prince, West Department
Base 1A : West Department (rural)
Base 1B : Petit Goave, West Department
Base 2 : Gonaives, Artibonite Department
Base 2A : Saint Marc, Artibonite Department
Base 3 : Les Cayes, South Department
Base 4 : Cap Haitien, North Department
Base 5 : Jeremie, Grand’Anse Department
Base 6 : Hinche, Center Department
Base 7 : Jacmel, South East Department
Base 8 : Port-de-Paix, North West Department
Base 9 : Fort Liberte, North East Department

Desk Officers managed the regional bases and staff included: Regional Coordinators; Observers who worked in the areas of human rights, judicial, prison, medical and electoral monitoring; and local support personnel.

MICIVIH’s mandate expired on 15 March 2000.

United Nations Mission in Haiti (UNMIH)
The United Nations Mission in Haiti (UNMIH) was established by Security Council Resolution 867 (1993) of 23 September 1993 for a period of six months. Its purpose was to help implement certain provisions of the Governors Island Agreement signed by the Haitian parties on 3 July 1993, and its mandate was to assist in modernizing the armed forces of Haiti and establishing a new police force. However, due to non-cooperation of the Haitian military authorities in 1993 and 1994, UNMIH could not be fully deployed. UNMIH was known in French as Mission des Nations Unies en Haiti (MINUHA).

Following the restoration on 15 October 1994 of the legitimate Haitian government with the help of the Multinational Force (MNF), UNMIH's mandate was revised by Security Council Resolutions 940 (1994) and 975 (1995) to enable the mission to assist the democratic Government of Haiti in fulfilling its responsibilities in connection with: sustaining a secure and stable environment established during the multinational phase and protecting international personnel and key installations; and professionalizing of the Haitian armed forces and the creation of a police force separate from the armed forces. UNMIH also was to assist government authorities to establish an environment conducive to the organization of free and fair elections.

UNMIH assumed its full functions on 31 March 1995, taking on the responsibilities of the MNF. Democratic legislative and municipal elections were held on 25 June 1995. The presidential elections took place on 17 December 1995. The new President assumed office on 7 February 1996.

UNMIH was headquartered in Port-au-Prince. Its leadership was carried out by the following individuals:

Special Envoy of the Secretary General, Dante Caputo of Argentina (September 1993 to September 1994)
Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG), Lakhdar Brahimi of Algeria (September 1994 to March 1996)
Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG), Enrique ter Horst of Venezuela (March to June 1996)

The mandate of UNMIH expired on 30 June 1996.

United Nations Support Mission in Haiti (UNSMIH)
The United Nations Support Mission in Haiti (UNSMIH) was established on 28 June 1996 by Security Council Resolution 1063 (1996). It was known in French as the Mission d'Appui des Nations Unies en Haiti (MANUH).

UNSMIH was mandated to assist the Government of Haiti in the professionalization of the Haitian National Police (HNP); to assist Haitian authorities in maintaining a secure and stable environment conducive to the establishment and training of an effective national police force; and to coordinate United Nations system activities to promote institution-building, national reconciliation and economic rehabilitation.

UNSMIH consisted of a Civilian Police component; and a military component comprised of a reconnaissance battalion, a helicopter unit, a military police unit, an engineer unit, transport and logistics elements, and medical support.

UNSMIH was headquartered in Port-au-Prince.

Enrique ter Horst of Venezuela served as Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) from March through July 1996.

Brigadier-General J. R. P. Daigle of Canada served as Force Commander from July 1996 to July 1997.

The mandate of UNSMIH expired on 31 July 1997.

United Nations Transition Mission in Haiti (UNTMIH)
The United Nations Transition Mission in Haiti (UNTMIH) was established by Security Council Resolution 1123 (1997) of 30 July 1997 to assist the Government of Haiti by supporting and contributing to the professionalization of the Haitian National Police (HNP). Tasks of UNTMIH's Civilian Police included training HNP specialized units in crowd control and National Palace security. Additionally, UNTMIH and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) continued preparation of an assistance programme to provide HNP with law enforcement expertise. Tasks of UNTMIH's military component included ensuring, under the authority of the Force Commander, the safety and freedom of movement of United Nations personnel implementing the mandate. UNTMIH also worked to achieve a level of political stability conducive to a nation-building partnership between Haiti, the United Nations and non-governmental organizations. UNTMIH was known in French as Mission de Transition Des Nations Unies en Haiti (MITNUH).

UNTMIH was headquartered in Port-au-Prince. Its Head of Mission and Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) was Enrique ter Horst of Venezuela.

UNTMIH’s mandate expired on 30 November 1997.

United Nations Civilian Police Mission in Haiti (MIPONUH)
The United Nations Civilian Police Mission in Haiti (MIPONUH) was established by Security Council Resolution 1141 (1997) of 28 November 1997 to continue to assist the Government of Haiti in the professionalization of the Haitian National Police. The mission placed special emphasis on assistance at the supervisory level and on training specialized police units. Other tasks included mentoring police, guiding police agents in day-to-day duties and maintaining close coordination with technical advisers to the Police funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and bilateral donors. MIPONUH's Special Police Unit (SPU) was tasked with providing assistance to MIPONUH personnel and protecting its property. MIPONUH was known in French as Mission de Police Civile des Nations Unies en Haiti.

MIPONUH was headquartered in Port-au-Prince. Its leadership was carried out by the following individuals:

Representative of the Secretary General (RSG), Julian Harston of the United Kingdom (December 1997 to September 1999)
Representative of the Secretary General (RSG), Alfredo Lopes Cabral of Guinea-Bissau (October 1999 to March 2000)

MIPONUH’s mandate expired on 15 March 2000.

International Civilian Support Mission in Haiti (MICAH)
The International Civilian Support Mission in Haiti (MICAH) was a peacebuilding mission created by a consensus vote of the General Assembly in resolution A/54/193 of 17 December 1999. MICAH was known in French as Mission Civile Internationale d'Appui en Haiti. It was supported by the United Nations Secretary-General’s Group of Friends of Haiti.

Launched on 16 March 2000, MICAH was mandated to consolidate the results achieved by MIPONUH and its predecessor missions. It was tasked with further promoting human rights and reinforcing the institutional effectiveness of the Haitian police and the judiciary, and with coordinating and facilitating the international community's dialogue with political and social actors in Haiti. MICAH formulated three pillars to carry out its mandate: the Justice Pillar, the Police Pillar, and the Human Rights Pillar.

Alfredo Lopes Cabral of Guinea-Bissau served as Representative of the Secretary-General (RSG) for the duration of the mission.

MICAH’s mandate expired on 6 February 2001.

The International Conference on the Former Yugoslavia (ICFY) was established at The London International Conference on the Former Yugoslavia, which was held on 26-27 August 1992. Led jointly by the United Nations and the European Community, the ICFY provided a framework for the negotiation of peace in the former Yugoslavia. The Secretary-General and the President of the European Community were Permanent Co-Chairmen, and each had a representative Co-Chairman.

ICFY records document the Co-Chairmen’s reporting of diplomatic and operational developments directly to Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, as well as to UNPROFOR Theatre Headquarters in Zagreb, Croatia.

The position of the Secretary-General’s Co-Chairman was held by:

Cyrus R. Vance, 26 August 1992 - 1 May 1993
Thorvald Stoltenberg, 1 May 1993 - 30 January 1996

The position of the President of the European Community’s Co-Chairman was held by:

Lord David Owen, 26 August 1992 - 9 June 1995
Carl Bildt, 9 June 1995 - 30 January 1996

The work of the ICFY was carried out by the Steering Committee, which was comprised of delegations of government representatives, representatives of United Nations agencies, and representatives of intergovernmental organizations. The following six working groups were established at The London Conference:

Working Group on Bosnia and Herzegovina
Working Group on Confidence and Security-Building and Verification Measures
Economic Issues Working Group
Working Group on Ethnic and National Communities and Minorities
Humanitarian Issues Working Group
Working Group on Secession Issues

The Secretariat of the ICFY was located at the Palais des Nations, in Geneva, Switzerland. The staff of the ICFY consisted of: Special Advisors, Political Advisors, Military Advisors, and a Legal Advisor to the Co-Chairmen; Spokesmen for the ICFY; and assistants and secretaries employed at the Secretariat.

The ICFY was dissolved on 30 January 1996.

"July 29-October 15: Peace Conference to draw up recommendations on draft peace treaties with Bulgaria, Finland, Hungary, Italy and Roumania held in Paris, attended by representatives of 21 nations. (YUN, 1946-47, p. 873). In Luxembourg, the treaty stated that the signing countries "take all measures necessary to secure to all persons under (its) jurisdiction, without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion, the enjoyment of human rights and of the fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression, of press and publication, of religious worship, of political opinion and of public meeting." It also gave war reparations."

“July 29-October 15: Peace Conference to draw up recommendations on draft peace treaties with Bulgaria, Finland, Hungary, Italy and Roumania held in Paris, attended by representatives of 21 nations.” (YUN, 1946-47, p. 873). In Luxembourg, the treaty stated that the signing countries "take all measures necessary to secure to all persons under (its) jurisdiction, without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion, the enjoyment of human rights and of the fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression, of press and publication, of religious worship, of political opinion and of public meeting." Also gave war reparations.

The International Penal and Penitentiary Commission was founded in 1872; dormant 1939-1945; dissolved in 1955.

It was established further to a series of conferences, most notably the First International Congress on the Prevention and Repression of Crime, held in London in 1872.

The original mandate was to collect penitentiary statistics, to encourage penal reform, and to convene further international conferences, in order to advise the participating governments on the reform of criminals, the prevention of crime, and on prison reform. In 1926 a permanent office was established in Bern, Switzerland.

In 1925, 1930, and 1935 the Commission and the League of Nations held joint conferences (in Berlin, London, and Paris). On 14 December 1950 the United Nations General Assembly adopted the recommendation of the Economic and Social Council that the International Penal and Penitentiary Commission functions, which by that time consisted primarily of organizing a conference every 5 years, be transferred to the United Nations.

The conferences were called UN Congresses on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders.

Names of the Commission varied as follows: International Penal Commission (from 1872), International Penal and Prison Commission (exact dates not established), and International Penal and Penitentiary Commission (1929-1955).

During 1968, the situation in the Middle East continued to be of concern to the United Nations. The security Council decided to create the United Nations Middle East Mission following resolution 236 to observe:

• the status of the cease-fire between Israel on the one hand and, respectively, Jordan, the United Arab Republic, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq
• questions concerning the treatment of civilian populations in Israel-occupied territories and changes in those territories
• the situation in and around Jerusalem and its Holy Places

Administrative and Financial Services "plans and executes budgetary, fiscal and personnel program of United Nations [and is] responsible for collecting contributions from members and for investment of funds." (YUN, 1946-1947) It also advises the Secretary-General on organizational programs in terms of their budget and personnel needs.

The Department worked closely with all Departments of the Secretariat, the Registrar of the International Court of Justice and the specialized agencies on administrative, financial and budgetary questions. In addition, the Department coordinated with member states on their payment of their UN contributions. In 1949, there was a re-organization to create the Bureau of Finance, the Bureau of Personnel, and the Inspection Service. In 1950, the department underwent further reform, receiving the Mission Administrative Staff and the Maintenance and Engineering Division from Conference and General Services in order to increase centralization of the construction of HQ. The staff of the International Centre for Training in Public Administration was transferred to the Department of Economic Affairs’ technical division, and the Staff Pension Division was redesignated as the Joint Staff Pension Fund under the Office of the Assistant Secretary-General. (YUN, 1950). The Assistant Secretary-General was Byron Price.

The Office of the Deputy Secretary-General (ODSG) was created in 1997 to assist the Secretary-General in managing the operations of the Secretariat; acting for the Secretary-General at United Nations Headquarters in the absence of the Secretary-General and in other cases as decided by the Secretary-General; supporting the Secretary-General to ensure inter-sectoral and inter-institutional coherence of activities and programmes and to elevate the profile and leadership of the United Nations in the economic and social spheres, including further efforts to strengthen the United Nations as a leading centre for development policy and development assistance; representing the Secretary-General at conferences, official functions and ceremonial and other occasions as directed by the Secretary-General; and undertaking such assignments as determined by the Secretary-General. Asha-Rose Migiro served as Deputy Secretary-General from 2007-2012. As part of her work, she chaired the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Africa Working Group. Her papers consist of two series: S-1893: Activities and S-1894: Trips. Before joining the United Nations, Ms. Migiro was the first woman in the United Republic of Tanzania to serve as Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. She held that position from 2006-2007. In addition, she was Minister for Community Development, Gender and Children for five years, and also served as Chair of the Council of Ministers' meetings of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region; Chair of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Ministerial Committee of the Organ on Politics, Defense and Security Cooperation; and President of the United Nations Security Council during its open debate on peace, security and development in the Great Lakes Region. Ms. Migiro was a member of the Faculty of Law at the University of Dar-es-Salaam and headed the Department of Constitutional and Administrative Law from 1992 to 1994, and the Department of Civil and Criminal Law from 1994 to 1997. She also served as a member of Tanzania's Law Reform Commission in 1997 and was a member of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in 2000. Ms. Migiro concluded her tenure on 1 July 2012. Subsequently, she was appointed as the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa. Jan Eliasson was appointed Deputy Secretary-General on 2 March 2012 and assumed office on 1 July 2012 until 31 December 2016. He concurrently served as Chair of the Rule of Law Coordination and Resource Group (RoLCRG). His papers consist of two series: S-1945: Activities and S-1944: Trips. Prior to assuming the position of Deputy Secretary-General, Mr. Eliasson served as President of the 60th Session of the General Assembly in 2005 and as Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Darfur from 2007-2008. A veteran in the fields of diplomacy and foreign relations, he served as State Secretary for Foreign Affairs from 1994 to 2000, a key position in formulating and implementing Swedish foreign policy. From 1988 to 1992, he was Sweden's Ambassador to the United Nations. During this period, he also served as the Personal Representative of the Secretary-General on Iran/Iraq and was Chairman of the General Assembly's working group on emergency relief in 1991, Vice President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) from 1991-1992, and Chairman of the United Nations Trust Fund for South Africa from 1988-1992. Mr. Eliasson was appointed the first Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs in 1992, and was involved in operations in Somalia, Sudan, Mozambique and the Balkans, as well as initiatives concerning landmines, conflict prevention and humanitarian action. He also served as the Chair of Water Aid/Sweden and was a member of the Secretary-General's Advocacy Group of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).